Aviv Hilbig-BokaerFulbright English Teaching Assistant, Vienna, AustriaBeing employed through YES at Alternatives Federal Credit Union was a pivotal moment in my education and personal development. Having the chance to do something professional and serious allowed me to evaluate my goals and make informed choices regarding my future. YES took a chance on me and I am so glad they did. So much of what I learned about professionalism and being an adult was facilitated by my first job.

I am currently living in Vienna, Austria and teaching English to high school students. The job is administered by the Fulbright Foundation and I spend lots of my time exploring and researching Austria and Central Europe.

Brock GibianDevelopment ManagerI currently develop and finance large solar installations with a focus on affordable housing, nonprofits and places of worship​As a teen, my YES job was as a youth swim instructor at Cass Park. The majority of my job at Cass Park was to relate to the campers and give them guidance and direction. I often look back at this as an example of why I fight for the environment as I want to protect future generations ability to enjoy the outdoors as I did.

​I LOVE the YES program! This program provides you with the fundamental skills that you need for learning how to acquire a job, and it provides you with a guideline to learn how to become independent. I love this program primarily for teaching me that I can do what I love AND get paid to do it! My passion has always been dance and children. As a teen, my job through YES was at the Community Unity Music Education Program (CUMEP), which was a way for me to work with children in a musical way. Today I work at a community center as a program leader, I work at the Community School of Music & Arts as the Hip Hop dance instructor, I have my own performing dance group, and I'm teaching workshops performing and traveling! If it hadn't been for the YES program I wouldn't be as content as I am today! YES is phenomenal and I'm grateful for them.

I first got started with the YES program during my senior year of high school. This period of my life was the most crucial time, and the decisions I made have affected my life, even as of today. I was extremely passionate about culinary arts and the YES program helped me find a career that was suitable. I worked at CTB through the YES program for a few months. CTB loved me so much that they hired me for a summer position before I left for college. During my time at CTB, I was able to learn about customer service and food safety. This was the best job I had in my youth, and to this day, working as a Line Chef at Mercato Bar & Kitchen, I see the customers that I had grown accustomed to seeing ever yday at CTB. I am now a graduate of Johnson & Wales University with my bachelors in food service management and culinary arts. I truly appreciate all that the YES program has done to help me.

Working through YES was one of my greatest and most memorable experiences growing up and as a teenager in Ithaca. Youth Employment Service helped me tremendously. It helped me support myself while i was in middle school and high school, but more importantly, the organization helped me support my mother financially while she was a single mother of four children.

While I was growing up, my father was still living in Liberia in west Africa, and the rest of the family lived in Ithaca. As the oldest of four children, at the age of fourteen, I had to step up to the plate and take his place as a father figure. With the jobs that YES helped me get, i was able to buy school clothes for my younger siblings, pay for groceries, and pay part of the electric bill to help my mother support us. In addition to supporting my mother with household responsibilities, I was able to save a huge part of the money I made through YES for my first and second year of college.

Through the YES program, back in 2003, I was lucky to be set up with a summer job at the Alternatives Federal Credit Union. At this job I came across some very good people. One of them, Carol Hoffman, she told me about the Money Wise program. I joined that program and I was able to save for my college tuition. Without the YES program setting me up with that job, I may not have had the opportunity to meet good people like Carol and become connected with such an important program.

I currently work for the Ithaca Youth Bureau for the the Paul Schreurs Memorial Program. I run an after-school program, write up the newsletters and plans, and run the summer program. At PSMP, we do college tours, activities, and many other things for youth in our program.

I also work at Coltivare, a restaurant in town. I am a supervisor and a host. I work on invoices and I am in charge of graduation, Easter and mother's day reservations.

As a YES teen, I worked at Stewart Park, AFCU, Southside, and Paul Schreurs Memorial Program. YES, was a part of my life as soon as I turned 14 years old. I remember working at all of my jobs and enjoying every minute. Stewart park and PSMP were my two favorite jobs. Working with kids has and will always be a passion in my life.

I currently work at HOLT Architects as a BIM Modeler and the IT manager. I am able to create a set of Construction Documents (blueprints) for a Contractor to build from. I also assist my fellow colleagues with day to day computer issues as well as maintaining the general Information Technology department at HOLT.​As a YES teen, I was a Junior Camp Counselor @ GIAC. Now, I am trying to seek employment for my 14 year old daughter. Ironically, my first job was through YES, and hopefully, she too will have her first job through YES, also.

I go to school at Hartwick for nursing. I also work with Ithaca community members to organize annual fundraising events so we can continue supporting students and schools in Myanmar. I plan to do a research project on water in Myanmar during the summer 2017 so I can use my studies to promote clean water.

As a YES teen, I worked at Trinity Lutheran, South Side, McGraw House, and Shortstop Deli.

In 2009, I came to Ithaca as a refugee from Thailand through Refugee Resettlement Program. I did not speak English, and I was very nervous to work among American people. My biggest fear was people not understanding me and that I would not understand the people I worked with. I received four different jobs through YES during my high school years. Through these jobs, I gained language skills, communication skills and job skills. It increased my confidence.

My YES Rep, Penny, visited me very often at my work place to make sure nobody mistreated me and to evaluate my work. She was always available to help when I needed her. The connection between me and Penny continues after high school and it remains the same. She is there when I need advice and support. She's even been involved with my projects in Myanmar, and has helped me to change the world into a better place for the vulnerable population in Myanmar. Penny and I work together to cover tuition for three students in middle school and fix tables and seats for their school in Myanmar.

I currently work for the Ithaca Youth Bureau as a full time Youth Program Leader for the College Discovery Program.

My first job as a teen was working for Ben and Jerry’s through the Youth Employment Service. Starting with YES allowed me to get a job that I may not of gotten on my own. It allowed me to build some time management skills because I had to balance my job with the other parts of my life. I usually used the money for school clothes or helping my mom out as much as I could. Helping my family financially always made be feel good.

Many of the skills I use for my job now, I began to work on while having the support of YES. It was always helpful to be able to ask my YES rep questions with out feeling dumb or worrying about getting in trouble. Later I actually worked as a YES rep, and this allowed me to give the same support to students that I had received as a teen worker. I owe a lot of my professionalism and people skills to the practice I had working with YES. Now I am able to take care of my own family, while doing something I love and helping others.

Current Job:I currently help to make software that teaches elementary school students how to read. My role is a programmer and coach to other programmers.

YES Job:When I was a YES teen, I was a receptionist at Lite 97 FM. Working at the front desk at a radio station was a great introduction to the world of work. I got to learn about all the different jobs that make up a radio station -- I even got to write some ads, and choose some songs that got played on the air! My favorite task, though, was answering the phone when the DJs ran contests... To this day, I often answer the phone, "Calling about the contest? You're caller number one, thanks for calling!"

Contact Us

Youth Employment Service is a program of the Ithaca Youth Bureau, which is a department of the City of Ithaca. We receive support from the Tompkins County Youth Services Department, the Tompkins County Workforce Development Board, and the Joint Youth Commission.